External appearance is important to practically every person. In recent years, methods and apparatuses have been developed for various dental treatments, namely fluorination of teeth as a preventative measure against tooth decay (e.g., tooth caries) and teeth whitening for aesthetic purposes.
‘Whitening teeth’ generally refers to application of any number of chemical and/or physical (mechanical) processes, procedures, or treatments, performed singly or in combination, which result in returning, and/or providing white color to teeth.
The chemical agents most commonly used for teeth whitening are oxidizing agents such as peroxides, some of which are activated when stimulated electrically, by heat and/or by light.
Application of chemical agents has been done in the past by using a “soaking” tray applied to a dental arcade for a given period of time wherein the teeth are brought into contact with the chemical agent. The treatment demanded much patience from the subject due to the length of time required for the chemical reaction to affect the teeth and moreover, in some cases—repeated treatments.
Attempts at changing the concentration of the chemical agent and/or the amount of time of exposure to the chemical agent, for whitening teeth, have been made. For example, some techniques (methods, devices) involve use of an electrical current to stimulate ion exchange, provide a thin conductive coating on the surface of the teeth, thereby enhancing the teeth conductivity. However, some of the existing techniques are typically based on using an electrical circuit which runs through a non-intra-oral cavity body part of an individual.
A typical chemical agent most commonly used for teeth whitening is hydrogen peroxide, although other relatively strong oxidizing agents, at appropriate concentrations and conditions of oral application are also commonly used for whitening teeth. Teeth are exposed to such strong oxidizing agents, whereby the oxidizing agents oxidize, and possibly also chemically degrade, substances which discolor teeth. However, applications of techniques for whitening teeth based on use of oxidizing agents, are typically accompanied by inadvertent or unpreventable, and undesirable, exposure of non-tooth intraoral cavity components, e.g., gum and tissue exterior surfaces, to the oxidizing agents. In some cases, applications of chemical or active agents is accompanied by application of a process or a material accelerating the bleaching or whitening action of the agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,301 discloses that the bleaching/whitening agents currently used in the art can be further activated by the constant application of heat to the bleaching/whitening agent, increasing the temperature of the bleaching/whitening agent above normal body temperature (98.6° F.) with a sub-sequential and consequential increase in the bleaching/whitening reaction, pursuant to the Q10 Rule, thereby activating and accelerating the bleaching/whitening process of stained or otherwise discolored teeth.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0198605 discloses a method of whitening teeth employing a combination of an oxidizing composition and an accelerator that when exposed to a biologically safe and effective level of photoactinic light (e.g., UV light) the ability of the oxidizing compound in the whitening composition to effect rapid tooth whitening is enhanced.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,775,795 to Khawaled discloses an electrochemical method and a device for treating teeth. The method requires use of an activation solution such as a metal salt solution that is applied to teeth before the treatment to increase the tooth conductivity. Following the increase of the tooth conductivity an ionizable substance is applied to teeth. Electric current flows from a source of current to the teeth through a series of contacts applied directly to the teeth, so as to ionize the ionizable substance and reduce the tooth decay.
Techniques (methods, devices) currently employed could provide a uniform treatment throughout a dental arcade, but involve electric or mechanical contact with the treated teeth. Such contacts could result in certain uneasiness of the treated subject. Moreover, the techniques lack the ability to easy monitor treatment parameters, chemical quantities and rates of application applied to a dental arcade and a rapid response to gum irritation and subject discomfort should such occur.